There has been considerable interest in understanding and developing nanostructures, but this has been hampered by limitations on observation that these structures impose by nature of their size.
Whereas in the past, various microscopy techniques have been sufficient to detect defects of a surface at the nanostructure level, or the mere presence of a nanostructure, these have been inadequate to provide characteristics of the nanostructure such as would permit development of images or details of physical features, such as dimensions, shape and other characteristics.
One daunting difficulty in characterizing nanostructures based on observation has been the wavelength of light. At 488 nm., even blue light has a wavelength in free space (or air) that is too long for use in imaging objects where those objects have dimensions that may range from just a few nm. to several times the wavelength of the light. Ultraviolet light degrades too readily under most conditions to afford a reasonable alternative. In microscopy it is known to locate a specimen in a drop of liquid and to bring the object lens of the microscope into contact with the liquid to take advantage of the reduction in the speed of light that occurs within the liquid and the commensurate reduction in wavelength of the light impingent on the specimen. This technique is not suitable for imaging nanostructures. First, the reduction in wavelength is not sufficient to permit imaging of specimens or structures having dimensions of just a few nm. Second, nanostructures within a liquid are likely to have their observable characteristics and their observable motion altered or distorted. This may occur by the liquid pressure, by dissolving, by chemical reaction or by other interactions of the liquid and the nanostructure. To substantially reduce wavelength, blue light at 488 nm. would need to be used in a medium such as diamond. This would slow the speed of the light by a factor of two, consequently reducing the wavelength by half. Again, this is both impractical and insufficient. The nanostructures being examined cannot be situated in a diamond medium, and halving the 488 nm. wavelength is still not a sufficient reduction. For effective imaging of nanostructures a reduction of the 488 nm. wavelength of blue light by a factor of ten would be desirable.
In Plasmonics-A Route to Nanoscale Optical Devices, Advanced Materials, 13, No. 19, Oct. 13, 2001 (Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH), Maier et al. teach using gold nanoparticles with diameters between 30 and 50 nm., spaced “a few tens of nanometers apart,” as building blocks for “plasmon waveguides.” This publication is incorporated herein by reference. The speed of wave propagation at the center of the operating band along the series of spaced nanoscale spheres of Maier et al. is 1/10 the free-space speed of the electromagnetic radiation employed. Consequently, the wavelength is 1/10 that of the free-space wavelength. Maier et al. do not suggest using the speed reduction for light wavelength reduction enabling examination of nanostructures. Rather, Maier et al. suggest optical wave guides fashioned into optical path “Ls,” “Ts” and switches for use in optical circuitry, so slowing the speed of light is not an objective. And, in fact, Maier et al. mention they are seeking the fastest such propagation velocity, whereas we desire the slowest. Maier et al. do not suggest suspension of particles in a dielectric medium.